


The Best of Friends

by thekingslover



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chapter Two is Joe's POV, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Misunderstandings, Oblivious Nicky, Prompt Fill, actually lovers to lovers, background andy/quynh, did I mention misunderstandings?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26285941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekingslover/pseuds/thekingslover
Summary: “You can’t be serious,” Booker says, slumping in the chair. “How am I the only single one in this group?”Nicky blinks. He looks at Joe, and Joe smiles back at him.Nicky is not dating anyone. Maybe Booker didn’t know.But… Does that mean… Is Joe seeing someone?(prompt was: Everyone thinks we’re already dating, but we’re just best friends- oh wait)
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 78
Kudos: 968





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my nickyjoe tumblr sideblog, monicashipsnicky. Main blog is thekingslover.
> 
> Prompt was: Everyone thinks we’re already dating, but we’re just best friends- oh wait ([from this prompt list](https://monicashipsnickyjoe.tumblr.com/post/626836395297751040/bucky-plums-barnes-50-clich%C3%A9-tropes-and-prompts)); modern au

Nicky doesn’t have a lot of experience dating, and why would he need it? Ever since secondary school he’s had Joe at his side. His best friend. And they’ve been roommates since they graduated.

When Nicky comes home from work, it’s Joe he wants to see, not some stranger. When a new movie comes out, Nicky wants to go with Joe, to smile when Joe leans over to him in the middle of the film to give a harrowing critique of the poor writing. Or to hear Joe laugh when a joke hits just right. To hold his hand if it gets too sad. To let Joe grab his arm if it’s scary.

So Nicky has never thought about dating, never needed to. But it still strikes him as odd when, while Booker and Andy are visiting, Booker tries to talk Andy into making a dating profile and does not do the same to Nicky or Joe. Joe especially has a lot of love to give. Nicky knows. He’s been selfishly hoarding it for years.

“I have a girlfriend,” Andy tells him. “We’re long distance.”

“The mysterious Quynh,” Booker says like he doesn’t believe it.

“She’s real.” Joe stretches his arm around the back of the couch behind Nicky. “Nicky and I have met her.”

Andy gestures toward them. “See?”

“You can’t be serious,” Booker says, slumping in the chair. His laptop’s open on the coffee table, but he ignores it and stares at the ceiling instead. “How am I the only single one in this group?”

Nicky blinks. He looks at Joe, and Joe smiles back at him.

Nicky is not dating anyone. Maybe Booker didn’t know.

But… Does that mean… Is Joe seeing someone?

When would he have the time? Every hour they are not working is spent together. Surely whomever Joe is with would not approve of seeing or talking so infrequently. Nicky himself _craves_ Joe’s nearness, even as good friends.

A pain shoots straight through his heart.

Joe’s smile falters, and Nicky, knowing he is the cause, glances away.

Andy reaches over and pats Booker on the knee. “You’ll be okay, Book.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

No one is correcting him. Even if Joe is seeing someone - there’s that sharp pain again - Nicky isn’t.

And if Joe has someone, then well… Maybe Nicky should stop being so selfish.

“Booker,” Nicky says. When all eyes on the room find him, he hesitates, not used to being the center of attention. He clears his throat, gathering his strength. If Joe has someone else, Nicky’s only choice is to distance himself. Joe deserves every chance at happiness with his mystery lover. “I would like to set up a profile, too.”

Booker groans, “That’s not funny.”

At the same time, Joe laughs, “For who?”

Only Andy stays silent, watching. From this angle, only she and Booker can see his face. Only she can read it.

Nicky swallows. Why is this so hard? “For me, Joe.”

Joe abruptly stops laughing. “What?” Nicky hasn’t the courage to face him. Nicky loves how things are now, but if Joe… if he needs the space to be in his relationship…

Andy says slowly, “What exactly are you saying, Nicky?”

“You mean to humiliate me further.” Nicky drops his face to his hands. “Don’t make me say it.”

“You’re going to have to,” Andy says.

Nicky tugs at his hair. “I’m single. You know this.”

“I do?” Andy says.

“You guys break up?” Booker asks.

Nicky lowers his elbows to his knees and his hands to the space between them.

Booker looks between Nicky and Joe. “Why didn’t you say something? Here I am, the asshole, talking about dating sites when you guys -”

“Wait.” Andy sits back. She’s glancing between them, too. “I don’t believe this.” She stops on Nicky. “You really don’t know.”

Nicky shrugs, entirely helpless.

To Booker, “Get your stuff. We’re going.” She pulls his arm.

“Yeah, okay.” Booker closes his laptop and slips it into his bag. As they head for the door, he calls back, “Sorry.”

“They’ll be fine,” Andy says from the hall.

Nicky stands up when they do but doesn’t leave his spot. When they’re gone out the door, he sits back down.

Finally, he looks at Joe.

The arm that was behind Nicky has moved away. He’s covering the lower half of his face with a hand, and his eyes are closed. Yet even hiding as he is, Nicky can tell something is very wrong.

Nicky places his palm flat on Joe’s shoulder, offering what comfort he can. He’s missing something crucial, he knows, but he can’t imagine what it might be. Apparently there is much he’s missing, if he didn’t know Joe had someone else in his life.

“Nicky.” Joe lowers his hand from his mouth, revealing his deep-set frown. He doesn’t say anything else, and Nicky can’t stand the tension in his shoulders and his face and in the air between them.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had someone?” Nicky says. He feels the world’s biggest fool. “I would have given you… distance, if that’s what you needed.”

Joe goes very still.

Nicky lowers his hand, taking one of Joe’s and holding it. “I would do anything for you. You know this.”

For too long a moment, Joe says nothing. The longer he stays silent, the more Nicky’s worry grows. Why hadn’t he kept his mouth shut? He never meant to ruin things as he has.

But then Joe looks up at him. His features aren’t as heavy with despair now. They crumple up in confusion instead. He curls his fingers around Nicky’s, and says, “Nicky, you have not been making much sense.”

“Booker said he was the only single one,” Nicky tells him.

“Yes, that’s true.”

“So you must be dating someone.”

Joe opens his mouth. Closes it again. Opens once more. “I love you, Nicky.”

“I love you, too.” What did that have to do with anything?

“We share a bed,” Joe says.

“We’re very good friends.”

“We spoon.”

“We share a bed,” Nicky says with a shrug. “It saves space.” Plus, sometimes he would have nightmares and having Joe there with him when he woke up immediately calmed him. And then there were the nights they never talked about after, when quietly, in the dark, Nicky would reach out and Joe would - oh.

_Oh._

“We share a bed,” Nicky says the same but means it differently.

The confusion slowly seeps from Joe’s face. He starts to smile. “Nicolo. My heart.”

The world’s biggest fool, indeed.

“I never dated anyone before,” Nicky says in his defense. Though as the fear of losing Joe subsides, humiliation does too. Who has time for it, when hope is shining so blindingly? “This means you’re mine.”

“Nicky.” Joe’s smile is bright. It’s everything Nicky’s ever needed, and all he wants. “I’ve always been yours.”

Nicky leans forward, emboldened, and kisses him, not fumbling in darkness but with purpose in daylight.

“Marry me,” Nicky says, when they part.

Joe laughs. “You’ve only thought us dating five minutes.”

“Too long.” Nicky drops soft kisses all over Joe’s face. So many things he’s wanted to do. So many he didn’t know he could.

Joe’s fingers tangle in Nicky’s hair. He leads Nicky’s mouth back to his, and whispers there, “My heart. My love. You might need more than a moment.”

“I’ve wasted too many already.”

“On that, we can agree.”

In the morning, Nicky will go to the store. He’ll buy a ring, and ask again. He will prove to Joe how serious he is. For now, he is content with the feel of this man beneath him, and the pieces of his heart finally sliding into place.


	2. Chapter Two - Joe's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe would remember a break up. Had Nicky wanted… How long had…
> 
> Was he unhappy with Joe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my nickjoe tumblr sideblog, monicashipsnickyjoe. Main blog is thekingslover
> 
> Thank you specifically to @CeCe who requested this, but also to everyone for your lovely comments and kudos. Your support means the world! :)
> 
> So please enjoy Chapter 2, which is the same story from Joe's POV.

“I have a girlfriend,” Andy says to Booker. “We’re long distance.”

“The mysterious Quynh,” Booker says with small disbelieving smirk.

“She’s real,” Joe says. He leans back, relaxing on the sofa. He stretches out his arm behind Nicky. “Nicky and I have met her.”

Andy points. “See?”

“You can’t be serious,” Booker slumps. He stares up at the ceiling. “How am I the only single one in this group?”

Joe shakes his head, a fond smile forming. Booker’s had a hard time of it lately, but it will work out for him. He hasn’t been as lucky as Joe, who found Nicky back in secondary school. They’ve been inseparable since.

Nicky glances at Joe, and Joe’s smile softens more, looking into the eyes of his beloved. He could melt on the spot with all his love for this man.

But Nicky… he’s not smiling back. In fact, he almost seems… pained. He glances away before Joe can give him one of their shared looks, the one that means, _What’s wrong?_

“Booker,” Nicky says. His shoulders are tense. 

Did something happen at work? No, Nicky would have mentioned it before they had company. Everything was fine until only a moment ago.

Nicky says, “I would like to set up a profile, too,” and it has to be a joke. It must.

So Joe laughs, “For who?”

Booker’s groaning, but he always does that. But Andy’s not laughing either. And Nicky’s not looking at Joe.

“For me, Joe.”

Joe chokes on his laugh. “What?”

Andy’s talking, but Joe can’t hear anything beyond the ringing in his ears. They came home from work. They ate dinner. They shared a drink. Andy called and said she and Booker were coming over. 

Everything was normal. Everything was fine.

He would remember a break up. Had Nicky wanted… How long had…

Was he unhappy with Joe?

Joe pulls his arm from the back of the couch and wraps it around his middle instead.

He thought he could read Nicky. They’ve been together so long. Perhaps he was mistaken.

“I’m single,” Nicky says, a hot iron to Joe’s chest. “You know this.”

“I do?” Andy says.

“You guys break up?” Booker asks.

Joe’s whole world is toppling over. Will Nicky want him to move out? Where will he go? And how… how will he ever move on from Nicky? Nicky is his moon and his stars. His kindness brings the whole of humanity to shame. His smiles are treasures.

Joe doesn’t want anyone else.

“We’re going,” Andy says. She’s pulling Booker toward the door. Nicky stands up.

“Sorry,” Booker calls.

“They’ll be fine,” Andy says from the hall. Joe’s not so sure. It sounds like Nicky’s already made up his mind, and once he’s set his mind to something, he does not change it.

Nicky sits back down.

Joe covers his mouth with his hand. He wants to beg and plead, to drop to his knees and sob. But if this is what Nicky wants… if…

“Nicky,” is all Joe manages as he lowers his hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had someone?” Nicky says in a rush. “I would have given you… distance, if that’s what you needed.”

Something’s not right. But with Joe’s heart in a vice, he’s struggling to understand any of this.

Nicky takes Joe’s hand and his touch is as gentle as ever. “I would do anything for you,” Nicky says. “You know this.”

Joe looks up at him. Nicky’s eyes are wide and wet. There’s fear there, and sorrow, like he’s the one whose whole world is shifting. Like he’s the one so near breaking.

Something’s definitely not right. Joe squeezes Nicky’s hand.

“Nicky, you haven’t been making much sense.”

Nicky’s sadness shifts slowly to confusion. “Booker said he was the only single one.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“So you must be dating someone.”

Joe’s thoughts fizzle out to nothing. This couldn’t possibly be… Nicky _knew_ what they were, surely? They never put labels on themselves, but… “I love you, Nicky.”

“I love you, too,” Nicky says, shaking his head. He doesn’t understand.

“We share a bed,” Joe says.

“We’re very good friends.”

Friends? “We spoon.”

“We share a bed. It saves space.” Nicky huffs out a frustrated breath and glances away.

Joe watches him, willing him to understand. They’ve been dating for years. Could Nicky truly not know? They make love often, spend all their waking non-working hours together. In their apartment, they hold hands, and trade soft kisses. In public, they are more reserved, but Joe just thought Nicky didn’t like to be affectionate in public.

But, then, Nicky had never dated anyone else. Perhaps Joe should have sat him down. They should have talked about it before now.

Slowly, finally, a light sparks in Nicky’s eyes. “We share a bed.”

Relief surges over Joe. He could laugh but he stifles it, not wanting Nicky to be hurt. He can’t stop his growing smile though. “Nicolo. My heart.”

Nicky meets Joe’s eyes again. Gone is sorrow and hurt, and in their place love and wonder overflow.

“This means you’re mine,” Nicky says.

“Nicky.” Joe smiles wider, so in love with this man. He is so decent, so pure. “I’ve always been yours.”

Nicky surges forward and kisses him. Joe meets him, heart restored and bursting with love.

“Marry me,” Nicky says against Joe’s lips.

Joe can’t hold back his laughter anymore. He’s just too happy.

He doesn’t tell Nicky about the ring he keeps in his work bag. The one he’s had for months, waiting for a perfect moment. In the morning, there will be time. For now, he is selfish. He wants kisses and touches and everything this man will gift him.

With Nicky, his heart is whole.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
